Feeding mechanism.



No. 769,294. I PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

C. J. BELLAMY.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1903. NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTED'SEPT. 6, 1904.

C. J. BBLLAMY. FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2 N0 MODEL.

PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904. G. J. BELLAMY. FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1903.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

.NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented September 6, 1904,

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. BELLAMY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

SIEECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,294, datedSeptember 6, 1904.

. Application filed December 15, 1903. Serial No. 185,294. (No model.)

I wealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful FeedingMechanism, of which the following 1s a spec1ficat1on.

My invention relates to improvements 1n mechanism adapted to handlepaper, prefer-' ably from a roll, for use with a hand writingboard orotherwise, as desired; and it consists of a rotary platen having aplurality of writing planes and of certain other peculiarly constructedand arranged members, as herein after set forth; and the objects of myimprovement are, first, to provide a paper-actuating member which alsoconstitutes a suitable writing-platen serving in place of a fixedwriting bed; second, to afiord automatic means for controlling suchplaten and the paper thereon; third, to guard against blotting orblurring the writing done on the platen; fourth, to furnish a suitabletension appliance for a roll of paper and the paper itself after itleaves the roll, and, fifth, to provide acomparatively simple andinexpensive, compact, practicable, and eflicient device which possessesthe advantages above noted.

I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a hand writingboardembodying a preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2, a right-hand sideview of said board; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the same, and Fig. 4 a similar sectional view showing a modifiedarrangement of some of the members. In the last three views the courseof the paper is shown.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

A single-strip roll of paper is described as being used in connectionwith this device; but it is to be understood that when a duplicate ofthe written matter is required a doublestrip roll may be employed.Furthermore,

the roll or paper-supply may be suspended at some convement place remotefrom the frame instead of being mounted dlrectly thereon or therein, ifdesired; but the tension appliance shown or some equivalent means forproducing tension will generally be required in any event.

Two of the essential features of this invention reside in the many-sidedplaten and in the tension appliance for the paper-supply roll and paper.

Although I have shown and will describe efficient means for controllingthe platen, I do not wish to be restricted to the same, because it isobvious that other means may be found to do this work in a satisfactorymanner. It is also apparent that various changes in the construction andarrangement of the frame and other parts besides the aforesaidcontrolling means may be made without violating the spirit of myinvention. As a notable example of a change in arrangement, thesupply-roll and its tension-rod may be moved from a position back oftheplaten to a position in front of the same, in which case the position ofthe lower controlling-roller in the on the inside faces of the sidepieces 1 afford rests for the rear end of the lid 1 when in its normalposition. The object of making the rest in two pieces, as described, isfor the purpose of giving access by opening the lid to the interiorfront. portion of the device, so that the paper may be readily adjustedon the platen 7 or to enable said platen to be removed when necessaryfor any purpose.

The roller or platen 7 consists in the present instance of aneight-sided block having trunnions or a shaft 8 journaled in the bottomsof slots 9 in the side pieces 1, pins 10 passing through eyes 11,projecting from the outer faces of said side pieces, being used to butsuch ridges may be left angular, if desired, thus making a true polygonor octagon of the platen. The platen 7 may have more or less than eightsides. Whichever side of the platen happens to be adjacent to and insubstantially the same plane with the hand-rest 1 becomes for the timebeing the real writingbed of the device. A knob 12 on one of the exposedends of the shaft 8 affords a ready means for rotating the platen 7. Inorder to remove the platen from the frame. it issimply necessary towitdraw the pins 10 and open the lid 1.

As a means of control for the platen 7 and for the further purpose ofproviding means for actuating the paper, I may employ rollers adapted tosimultaneously engage one side and one ridge, respectively, of saidplaten, such rollers being preferably spring pressed against the same.In order to prevent blotting or blurring the writing, one of thecontrolling and actuating means may consist of marginal rollers 13 13;but I do not wish to be restricted to marginal rollers, since a singlelong roller may be substituted therefor in some cases and may constitutethe only means of control. If a long roller be employed in place of themarginal rollers, it may be converted into a blotting-roller by coveringit with blotting-paper. The rollers 13 are carried by a shaft 1 1,journaled in slots 15 in arms 1, extending upward from the side pieces 1and connected by a cross bar 1". These marginal rollers are arranged tobear only on the platen 7 near its ends or on the margins of aninterposed strip or sheet of paper outside of the field of Writing. Themarginal rollers are pressed against the platen by means of springs 16in the slots 15, such springs being interposed between blocks 17 and 18,slidingly mounted in the arms 1. The blocks 17 bear directly upon theshaft 14:, While the blocks 18 are forced by the springs 16 against theends of adjusting-screws 19, threaded through openings in the upper endsof said arms. By adjusting the screws 19 up or down the force exerted bythe springs 16 upon the shaft 1 1 is decreased or increased accordingly,and in this way therequisite degree of frictional contact between therollers 13 and theplaten is obtained and any irregularity compensatedfor. A long roller 20 has its trunnions or shaft 21 j ournaled in slots22 in the side pieces 1, and springs 23 in said slots force said rolleragainst said platen. The springs 23 are introduced between blocks 24:and the bases of the slots 22, said blocks being slidingly mounted insaid slots and bearing against the shaft 21. The parts are so arrangedthat when the marginal rollers 13 bear against the center of one side ofthe platen the roller 20 bears against one of the ridges and when themarginal rollers bear upon a ridge the long roller bears against thecenter of one of the sides. By this arrangement the desired control ofthe platen and paper is obtained and only the minimum amount of power isrequired to rotate the platen, as would not be the case if all of saidrollers simultaneously bore against the centers of two of the faces ofthe same.

I do not seek in this application to claim broadly the marginal rollerswith a rotary platen, having done so in a previous application; but I dodesire to claim the marginal rollers arranged in resiliently-frictionalcon tact with a platen having a plurality of planes.

Oblique slots 25 are provided in the side pieces 1 for the trunnions orshaft 26 of a paper-supply roll 27, and such slots are narrowed at theirlower terminals, as shown at 25, to afford bearings for the trunnions orshaft 23 of a tension member 29, which may be either a rod or a roller.The roll 27 is drawn into contact with the tension-roller 29 and soremains as the roll decreases in size by the unwindingof the paper 30through the medium of springs 31,extending between the outer ends of theshaft 26, and pins 32, projecting from the outer faces of the sidepieces 1. By releasing the shaft 26 from the springs 31 said shaft, withthe paper thereon, if any, may be readily removed from the slots 25,also the shaft 28, with its roller 29, as will be readily seen. Itwillnot, however, generally beneeessary to remove the roller 29 from itsnormal position unless it become necessary to enlarge the space back ofthe roller 20, so as to enable the operator to more readily insert theend of the strip or web 30 from the roll 27 into the bite of said rollerand the platen. lt is to be understood that the tension member 29 is sopositioned as to divert the course of the web 30 on its way from theroll 27 to the platen 7. The tension member may or may not revolve. Ofcourse weights might be sub stituted for the springs 31 or gravitydepended on to retain the paper-roll in constant contact with thetension member, in which last event the roll holder or shaft 26 must beheavy enough and the bearings for the same steep enough to insure asufiicientl y forceful downward tendency of such roll-holder at alltimes. It may be noted, too, in passing that any suitable roll-holdermay be employed.

In operation the web 30 after passing upward between the roller 2%) andthe roll 27 and partly around the former extends forward between theplaten and the roller 20, thence around the front half of said platen,and finally rearward between the platen and the marginal rollers 13. Thehand of the operator rests upon the parts at and 1; but the. writing isdone on the adjacent exposed side of the platen. After that portion ofthe paper which rests upon the aforesaid exposed side of the platen hasbeen written upon the platen is rotated in the direction of the arrow inFig. 3 to bring another side into service and a fresh portion of thepaper beneath the pen or pencil of the operator, aml so on indefinitely,the written matter being torn off behind the rollers 13 from time totime as re-" the process of writing. The rollers 13 also obviate theliability of blotting the written' matter when ink is used, as hasalready been fully explained.

During the operation of the mechanism the roller 29 isto all intents andpurposes fixedly journaled that is to say, it does not slide in itsbearings. Hence the point where the paper leaves said roller alwaysoccupies the same relative position to the bite of the platen and roller20. with the exception of whatever slight variation there may be owingto the irregular outline of the platen and the consequent up-and-downmovement of the roller 20. The springs 31 provide the necessary tensionfor the roll 27 and, with the roller 29, afford the desired degree oftension for the web 30.

The modified arrangement shown in F igret consists slmply in changingthe'positions of the slots 25 so that the roll 27 and-the member 29 canbe located in front of the platen instead of behind it. Each pin .32 forone of the springs 31 in this case is placed higher than before and inadvance of its former position. downward at its forward end and opensthrough the bottom of said side piece, as-

shown at 25 to provide convenient means for removing and replacing theshaft 26, an opening 2 being provided in the floor 2 for-the passage ofthe supply-roll. The cross-piece 3 and the roller 20,with itsappurtenances,are omitted from the modified construction, although theroller might be retained, if desired; otherwise the parts are thesame ashas'already been fully explained. The web 30 after leaving the roll 27and passing partly around the tension-roll 29 extends upward andrearward directly onto that side of the platen 7 which is serving as theactual writing-bed, and then its course is the same as before, as is theoperation of so much of the mechanism as is here retained.

What I claim as my invention, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In feeding mechanism, the combination with a suitable frame and apaper-actuating roller journaled therein or thereon, the per-- imeter ofsaid roller presenting aplurality of The slot 25 in each side piece 1turns planes adapted for writing-surfaces, of a h andsupport, thepartsbeing so arranged as to enable the operator r'estinghis hand on saidsupport to write upon the paper supported and actuated by'sai'd rollerover its alternatelyexposed plane surfaces.

2. In feeding mechanism, the combination with a suitable frame and aroller journaled therein or thereon, the perimeter of said rollerpresenting a plurality of planes, of other rollers arranged inresiliently frictional contact with the side margins only ofpaperinterpolsed between them'and said first-mentioned ro ler.

3. In feeding mechanism, the combination with a suitable frame and aroller journaled therein or thereon, the perimeter of said rollerpresenting a plurality of planes, of other rollers arranged inresiliently frictional contact with end portions only of saidfirst-mentioned roller, and means to vary. the pressure rollers mountedtherein or thereon, the perimeter of one of which presents a pluralityof planes, of a tension member, and a papersupply-roll holder mounted inmovable bearings in said frame and it or the roll thereon in resilientlyfrictional contact with said tension member, the latter being mounted insaid frame and arranged to divert the paper, as drawn from thesupply-roll by the actuating-rollers, out of its direct course from theline of contact between thetension member and roll.

. 5. In feeding mechanism, the combination with a suitable frame and apaper actuating roller journaled therein or thereon, the perimeter ofsaid roller presenting a plurality of planes, of other rollers inresiliently frictional contact with the first-mentioned roller and soarranged as to bear simultaneously on the center of one of said planesand on a ridge between two of such planes;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' CHARLES -J. BELLAMY. Witnesses: i i

F. A. CUTTER, A. L. STE'vENs.

IOO

